The South African Revenue Service (Sars) recently detained 56 shipping containers - with an estimated value of R10 million - containing clothing suspected of being illegal imports, at the China Shopping Centre south of Johannesburg. During the same operation immigration officials from the Department of Home Affairs seized computers and hard disks suspected of being used in the production of false Identity documents and passports. Sars Customs officials also removed equipment suspected of being used in the production of counterfeit CDs and DVDs. As a result of government’s concern about the illicit economy and its impact on the local clothing and textile industry in particular, Sars was mandated to initiate an intergovernmental response to deal with the illegal importation of clothing and textiles. According to Sars one of the biggest threats remains the under-invoicing of import clothing and textile consignments resulting in low-revenue flows into the fiscus. Coupled with this is the significant loss of jobs in the local clothing and textile industries over the past years.
